The Secret Ace
by Tuka Luna Marceau
Summary: Sawada Mikumo has had her HI in full manifestation as a child, that upon sensing something wrong with her papa inviting someone over, she quickly packed up and ran away without a word with just a letter taped to the fridge. She runs all the way to Tokyo's rural areas to where she felt safe and how safe can a certain psychic's temple be? YYH X-Over Fem!Tsuna
1. Chapter 1

The Psychics

Genkai twitched.

It ain't every day a really cute little kid visits her temple all by herself, and judging by her appearance, did a lot of sneaking around, taking advantage of her size.

'So ojouchan, why did you come here for?' she asked the little girl.

'Papa's having a guest over, his boss from his job.' the little girl gasped out after drinking cool water given to her since she was very hot, sweaty and panting. 'But I feel really bad...the kind that I should run away and never look back - kind of feeling, obaasan.' she piped up. 'Nothing bad to mama but very very bad for me! I feel it!' she cried. 'This place is safe! I feel it! Nowhere else is safe, my feeling says so!'

'I see...so you won't go home until the bad feeling is gone?'

'Yup! Can I stay here until he's gone? Pretty please?'

Genkai twitched again as the girl blasted her with the kicked puppy-dog eyes look.

It gets better.

The girl is a powerful psychic. Her Intuition is off the charts. And she doesn't even know it. Not only that, she senses another power.

She senses danger to herself and obeys it like gospel...which is good because her power is useless otherwise if she won't heed its counsel, and possibly pay the price by getting the bad thing she sensed. Combined with martial arts, her power is very, very deadly.

Yikes.

Genkai chuckled.

'So what's you name?'

'I'm Sawada Mikumo.' said Mikumo. 'What's your name, obaasan?'

'I'm just an old hermit.' said Genkai. 'My name is Genkai.'

xxx

'Ehhh? OK...OK...sure! I hope she behaves herself over there...' said Nana with a pout. 'She really worried me!'

/Maa maa, kids don't like too much adult stuff around them./ Genkai's voice spoke over the phone. /Kids love fun times, not boring times. I'll bring her home when your husband's business with his boss is over. She surprised me with her visit too you know. I'll let her talk./

/Mama?/

'Miku-chan, you're in for a scolding when you get back, OK?' Nana chided. 'Its OK to visit but at least tell mama first!'

/Ehehehe.../ Mikumo giggled. /Sorry mama but I can't leave when they arrive. I'll come home when they're gone, OK? I hate boring stuff and I'm having fun with obaasan here!/

'But what about school?'

/Oh, just tell them I ate something funny and got sick./

'Mikumo~!'

/Ehehe~/

Needless to say, Vongola Nono isn't sealing away anybody when he got there...

'Miku-chan went to visit an old granny friend?!'

xxx

Well, Genkai had to teach Mikumo what her 'feelings' actually were. That, and they meditated to understand what her second power was.

Its flames, but its a flame that doesn't gain power by adding more and more power to it, but its a flame that gains power based on its user's will. So its stronger if she wants it to be by imagining how strong she wants it, not because she pours more power into it. It doesn't work that way.

However, Genkai also felt a sense of 'being pulled in into a warm embrace of coming home'. But she gently rejected the pull, as she's way too old for the kid she doesn't have much years left, while Mikumo has a long way to go. She had to make her intent clear to the unusual force in Mikumo's flames.

She was curious about it too.

In a week, she was able to teach Mikumo well about her powers, and advised her to learn some fighting before taking her home.

It was a miracle Mikumo got here unscathed, but she's not about to let the kid go home by herself. She was adult fear incarnated when she pulled that stunt of hers...

'I'm home!' Mikumo called out after climbing on top of a trash can and jumped to reach the doorbell and jabbed it three times with a finger before falling back down to the ground.

'Miku-chan!' Iemitsu cried as he went out to get his daughter, and with his kid, was a short old granny with pinkish-gray curly hair in a purple kimono and blue obi. 'Er, you're the granny she's with?'

'Obviously, you whipper-snapper.' Genkai snarked with a smirk as Iemitsu picked up his little girl. 'Well, I'm getting older and its way too quiet in my house, she's a joy to have around.' she said. 'Treat your kid well, brat, or she'll run again.' she chuckled before leaving.

Iemitsu eyed the granny.

She's clearly a Cloud who gently rejected a Sky. Not just any sky, she gently rejected _his daughter_ since Mikumo wasn't suffering the usual symptoms. He thought she felt she was too old for his daughter. Well, its kinda justified...but still, she's one damn powerful Cloud...

Well, the opportunity to hide his daughter away is gone, and he has one day left in this house...

xxx

Years later...

Mikumo grew up to be a very attractive young girl as a result of her quarter-italian lineage and popular in school.

But she was also a mysterious existence to her peers, even if to them, she was a graceful girl.

What was beneath her beauty however, is a powerful fighter as a result of years of training and honing her strength and powers...and every summer, winter and spring breaks, she visits Genkai for training in fighting skills and improving her own prowess that by age 13, her fighting ability is pretty high for her age.

She hides her well-toned legs by wearing a longer skirt variation of the Nami-chuu uniform, and black socks.

Nice try, but P.E shows it off anyway...and as Hibari has a TENDENCY of skipping classes...

He knows a fighter when he sees one, and attacked her much to the disbelief of her class that was doing Volleyball on that day...

Well, cover blown.

'...P.E really is a bad subject for me...how should I know someone like you is in school?' Mikumo moped whiningly as she fought Hibari on even levels. She's holding back, lest she kills the guy...who appears to be enjoying their time together...and he forces his own body in a bid to defeat her but she's years ahead of him...and for some reason, she knows she makes him grow so fast, too...which was SCARY as nobody develops THIS FAST. It took her YEARS, he took minutes!

While she was in utter inner turmoil on how unfair this was, her classmates and teacher forgot the whole thing, too dumbstruck, stunned into silence because last they checked, teenagers aren't superhuman fighters...but Hibari's untrained body eventually caved in from pushing himself so hard but it speaks volumes of Hibari's _potential_...had he been actually trained.

What his weakness was, was his own body that it fails to catch up to his mind. His mind as a fighter, is too fast. His mind also processes things too fast that in mental speed and reflexes, he quickly caught up to her.

His body on the other hand, was what's expected of a male teen his age who doesn't hold back.

'...wao...' Hibari gasped out very hard from panting from exhaustion. He was also sweating heavily compared to Mikumo who only has a thin film of sweat.

'...you're good but your body is untrained...by forcing yourself just to catch up to me, its only natural you spent your body to the extremes...and you'll be absent from school for a while, no thanks to the ancestor of all muscle pains imaginable in a few hours...well, you only have yourself to blame for that.' Mikumo chuckled. 'Unlike you, I trained for years.' she informed him in a cutesy coy pose. 'Have fun in bed later~' she said with a beaming, bright smile in a cheerful manner.

Hours later, Hibari felt she cursed him because by sundown...

His whole body was in utter pain!

His back!

His shoulders!

His thighs!

EVERYTHING save for his head and groin hurt.

But despite his pain, all that's in his head, was that super-strong girl in school.

In his eyes...

She was beautiful(as a fighter).

She was powerful.

Graceful.

Has immense confidence that she would never falter or lose.

He grinned ferally.

He'll defeat her, one way or another!

xxx

At school the next day...

Like Hibari, students gave her a nervous wide berth.

"It spread out in no time flat..." Mikumo sweatdropped while smiling serenely.

Yes, since the second week of Prelims...she is just as feared by her school. Hibari recovered and continued fighting her.

But it seems he learned his lessons of overexertion, and settled for gaining battle experience instead.

Along the way, respect was earned, too and Hibari pretty much felt at home with her...unaware that he was effectively snagged.

Only, it was he who willingly went to her, not the other way around when usually, its a Sky who reaches out.

Not that both teens knew that anyway...and routine was that he would ambush her every after classes and they would fight.

However, its not only Hibari whose mind was fast in battle...

Since that day in boys VS girls class, a boy was also able to follow with his eyes, too.

He could not get the fight out of his mind, too. His mind kept processing their speed over and over that eventually days later, he was getting used to it little by little unlike Hibari's comprehension that was way too fast...

He too, was attracted, but not quite yet snagged...


	2. The Cursed Tutor

The Cursed Tutor

Reborn arrived in Namimori early morning.

His task, was to tutor the daughter of the blonde idiota Sawada Mikumo.

According to him, his daughter was really cute, perpetually-cheerful and perky, and has her playful moments that she once went to visit a granny without telling anybody...and is very adventurous that Iemitsu often had to watch out because his wife was kind of oblivious at times.

Iemitsu swore that when she tried her 'balancing act' on the couch's back rest to imitate the tightrope walker on TV, he was horrified he was scared of leaving her alone to his wife at work. He loves his wife, but she doesn't notice things that Mikumo tries out that could possibly break a limb or worse, her neck and begged Reborn that if she was still the same playful little girl, he watch out.

She once unconsciously reached out to a granny friend who was a Cloud, but was gently rejected because she was too old for the girl, so the granny gently rejected her, and no harm done.

Iemitsu looked in all databases for such a granny, only to learn she doesn't exist in society and doesn't even live in Namimori. And his daughter stayed with her for a week!

For now, he went to Namichuu to look at his student's performance, before visiting the house.

He got shown a picture of the girl as a little girl, around five years back. And now upon getting her file, she's blossoming into an attractive beauty with her mother's colors, but no mistaking the result of mixed lineage in her looks. She has long hair with bouncy layered fringes framing her face.

Her grades are Shu-level grades which is good. But she doesn't have a school club.

He planted bugs all over the place save the bathroom after putting the files away.

So he went to the house, and arrived just in time for breakfast.

He slid a flyer in after the newspaper man slid a newspaper in the mailbox slot.

He hid and waited...

It was the girl who came out, still in her idea of pajama which is basically a boy's shirt which would be worn by a sporty adult male, and a pair of flip flops to get the newspaper. Her hair also reached her waist. Her hair is pencil-straight, too, but the bottom half was 'rounded' as if her hair was cut that way.

But when she saw the flyer he made...

She looked straight at where he is in the trees!

He tested her by moving away from his spot, her gaze followed him.

Well, she's good.

However...his flyer burst into flame.

Sky Flames.

The paper was gone as soon as it caught fire.

Bam, rejected.

Heh, did she sense danger that was him, coming?

To be fair, he IS dangerous. He's the world's best hitman, damnit. But only to those who his client wants dead. But in this instance, his client wants him to tutor his successor...

But nobody told him she could play with her flames...

Sooo yes, while surprised that his student made herself interesting, he wants to verbally roar at his client and the idiot sub-client...

Italy, at their phones when they received Voice Mail...

'WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE CAN DO IT ALREADY?!' came the shocks from the two Vongola bosses.

Well, not that he cared for their reaction as long as he voiced his displeasure.

Mikumo even lied that she just got the newspaper.

As for where diet is concerned? Well, like any good jap concerned with health, breakfast was healthy, but instead of the traditional Miso Soup, its a very vegan miso soup. with loads of leafy greens...and fish was fish fillet instead of the whole grilled fish. Mikumo's bento was entirely fishy-vegan made by her mother, while Mikumo was making...Hamburger Steak?

He crept close, with Leon becoming a gadget that enabled him to eavesdrop.

/Miku-chan, who is that bento for?/ my god, the way Nana talked...first impression would be that she's an airhead who talks like a kid, but despite that and obliviousness, she was a very cheerful and doting mother and wife Iemitsu only had two things to complain about her but even then, those two things are superficial.

/Oh, I just got the feeling that I'll need it today, that's all./ Mikumo chirped happily while flipping the steak over, and proceeded to make poached eggs.

How she did it?

She took a glass jar, filled it with 1/8 water before cracking a large egg into it, and then microwaved it.

Microwaved.

Last he checked, you do NOT microwave eggs. Just no!

She set it to a minute on high before making the steak sauce by using a food processor, some spices, choice herbs and some boiled water...and when the microwave was done, he was rightfully-astonished. Because what was left in the hot glass jar, is a perfectly poached egg she took with oven mittens and tipped the jar over to the bento. Well, he learned something new today...then again, while good at cooking, he wasn't that much of a kitchen trickster.

When the sauce was done, she poured the sauce into a piece of jumbo plastic tube and twisted the tip...and melted the plastic with her flames to seal it tight while her back was towards her mom so she wouldn't see. So Nana does not know about her daughter's powers.

The last step was the rice. She put a nice helping, before putting the sauce tube on top of the rice and steak over the disposable box, a pair of bamboo chopsticks inside a tube plastic and closed the bento before wrapping it in...purple paper.

By that time, breakfast was done, and it was time to get ready for school indeed.

Reborn watched while flying on a Leon-copter while recording with a camera.

The students parted like the Red Sea before her, and all looked at her nervously and warily.

Hmm, this trait is good in a Donna. No teenage mafioso can do this so far even in Mafia Academy...

He'll have to ask some kids in lunch break.

xxx

Lunch Break...

Reborn felt the wait was like eternity when he wanted some stuff done sooner or get the stuff he wanted 'since yesterday'.

When he saw some girls, he appealed to them and asked, 'Hey, I saw everyone part like the sea for this one girl this morning.' he said. 'Do you know why?'

'That girl is scary! Right, Kana?'

'Yeah, she's fighting Hibari on a daily basis...and he's...' the girl called Kana looked around nervously before looking relieved. '...losing. He gets tired first before she does, but he doesn't exactly get beaten to defeat, he just gets tired.' she said. 'They fight every after school and its scary to see them fight!'

'Yeah, all those chinese kung fu movies just can't compare!' the first girl nodded grimly. 'They look like amateur stuntmen in comparison if they see Sawada and Hibari fight...and she's a freshman and he's our year too...'

OOOOOK?

He then approached some classmates whose faces he remembered when he was looking for her file.

'Geh?! You mean Sawada?!' some boys shuddered.

'She's cute and a real nice girl with gorgeous legs, but isn't friends with anybody...she's always by herself.'

'Yeah, no boyfriend either!'

Reborn paused.

What the hell? Aren't these brats only 13-14 to think about boyfriend-girlfriend? Precocious crushes and puppy love he can understand, but these guys are already thinking about THAT sort of level...he wondered if Japanese teenage mentality is different these days...or is it just here?

'She's cute, she's nice but that day...!' one of the boys sobbed. 'I thought she's a sweet princess until that Volleyball class!'

'My rose-colored glasses are gone!' another boy wailed. 'And there's no more cute girls in class too!'

'Yeah...Hibari gunned for her that day...and she revealed how scary she is under that cute face!'

He really will have to wait until after school.

Meanwhile, on the rooftop...

Hibari was napping...while ignoring his grumbling stomach.

His maid had to take leave as she wanted to wait in her grandson's room until his parents come from overseas from work since the grandson is in a bad shape and only the parents can make 'difficult' decisions, so he let the maid go for a few days. She made him food that only required microwave reheating, but...no bento for a while. So yes, he's hungry and cranky at lunch break and he won't have anyone make him dinner for a while, and the only thing he can cook, is rice and miso soup, but that's not a carnivore's food nor is it even herbivore food...its scavenger food and he's no scavenger!

He just got angrier at the idea when the rooftop door opened.

He wondered who'll earn his ire today for bothering him, but its the carnivore maiden.

'Hi!' she chirped, smiling at him and holding out a paper-wrapped box. 'I thought you'd need this today for some reason...' she gave him the box which was...warm.

Its obvious what this is, as he tore the wrapping apart impatiently and its a paper-disposable box.

Inside was rice, a jumbo burger steak, and two poached eggs. On top was the sauce and chopsticks.

His eyes widened at the sight of carnivore food before him and looked at her incredulously.

'I felt like making one for you today for some reason.' said Mikumo as she took out her own bento. Its a herbivorous lunch for a carnivore. 'I always follow my instincts and granny told me my instincts are finely-tuned I should always listen to it and never ignore it no matter what anyone says.'

'Ah...'

But still, Hibari was glad for the free food. And its got loads of sauce!

'...oh, and can I visit your house after school?' Mikumo asked him. 'I feel like I need to do something there for some reason...'

'Like what?'

'Cook.'

'...'

OK?

His maid is out for a week at most, and she felt like cooking in his house?

OK, she's a carnivore indeed.

Carnivores have great instincts, otherwise, they won't be on top of the food chain.

He ate the bento she made for him and DAMN, the sauce is heavenly, rice fluffy and the steak juicy! And the poached eggs so sweet!

The carnivore smiles while eating her lunch for some reason.

Because unknown to him, she finds his blushing face cute as soon as he tasted her cooking.

xxx

After school...

Reborn finally saw the fight, as soon as he got the cameras rolling.

The fight in question?

Even he had his jaw dropping.

Holy mother of Mary!

What the hell happened to Iemitsu's kid when he went back to Italy?!

"OK, from my observations so far, she's one hell of a looker many Dons and powerful men would fight over her someday, very good in academics, FEARED BY HER WHOLE SCHOOL and now...this.

This fighting ability is something one he'd expect from himself, and Fon with Fon being better than him, the Varia's top brass and the brats in combat speed while Reborn focuses on what kills you faster due to his job and he wasn't for prolonging fights but he can do the same to an extent. But this on _pre-teens_?!

Boy wonder is clearly a Cloud who's got some signs of bonding with her. So its Cloud in the bag when usually, Skies get Clouds _last_. If they're lucky to even _have_ a Cloud as Clouds have very finicky standards. They won't accept just _anybody_ no matter the element. They're the world's most pickiest SOBs. Skull was just an exception.

The fight took an hour before they called it a day.

'Oh, I'll call home before we go shopping together, OK?' Mikumo informed Hibari. 'I hope you have money on you since you're paying.'

'Hn. Of course.' like hell he'll let a girl pay for him...he has his pride, thank you!

Thus, Reborn stalked them.

xxx

Hibari's house...

'Woooow...' Mikumo marveled as its very...traditional. 'I feel like in a history book! Do you wear a kimono at home too? You'd look dashing in a kinagashi with a haori over, waka-sama!' she exclaimed with a giddy squeal.

Hibari twitched as he could somehow imagining how she imagines him right now.

'So where's the kitchen?'

Hibari led her to the kitchen without a word.

She never asked about his family. She was too awestruck by his house.

'...you like houses like this?' he asked her as they finally got to the kitchen.

'Its like granny's house in the rurals outside Tokyo. But she doesn't have a garden...to be fair, its a buddhist temple and a dojo she always gets challengers or people wanting to be her student...she doesn't have a beautiful garden like yours as its all bare ground.' Mikumo pouted. 'And getting to her house is kinda tiring too...you need to climb one hell of a stairway...I counted 300 steps.'

'Hooo...she a fighter?'

'A retired one looking for an heir, but she can beat the two of us blindfolded.' Mikumo chuckled while she started washing the rice. 'I was her student for five years. But granny has very high standards.'

'Standards?'

'Yup. She would never take in an heir with an evil heart who'll misuse her art. Because her art is dangerous in the wrong hands she feared for people if some no-good lowlife became her student, so she's very picky. I was almost ideal, but I lacked the one thing her art needed most even if I spend my whole life trying to have it because I just can't have it. To have it...you need to survive a near-death situation to have it and even then, chances are very low in having a certain trait. The most she did for me was my fighting skills and my body. I am who I am today thanks to granny.'

Hibari paused.

'Wait a minute...old granny...martial artist...Genkai?'

Mikumo lit up, meaning, he hit the jackpot.

'Oh! You've heard of her?'

Hibari gave her a blank stare.

'What fighter _wouldn't_?'

She looked sheepish.

'Ahahaha...only a certain kind of bunch in society knows of her. Its not like all of Japan knows her, y'know? I'd say 1% of Japan is aware of her.' she said. 'I visit her every seasonal break so come summer I'll come there again. Wanna come? Granny would like to see a case like you.'

'Me?'

'Yup. I've never heard of a fighter like you. Your mental processes evolve so fast it enabled you to catch up to my level in fighting. Just that, your body can't catch up to your mind.' Mikumo told him. 'You only do so when you force yourself and you end up with nasty muscle pains afterward. Probably after some homework, she'll whack you with a rolled-up newspaper for being so reckless~'

xxx

Reborn got a name.

Genkai.

Mikumo trained under her in fighting for five years.

Only select few know of her.

For now, he'll stick around and understand this girl more. Seeing Genkai can wait.


	3. Contact

Contact

Hibari watched Mikumo cook.

After washing the rice, she made enough for dinner, breakfast tomorrow, and of course, for making his bento tomorrow.

Then she proceeded with making dinner.

Tonight is Miso Soup with herbs and mushrooms, a steamed fish fillet with carrots, potatoes, garlic and onions with homemade sauce poured over it, and poached eggs.

Hibari raised an eyebrow at how she made poached eggs.

He sees his maid how she makes it. She uses an actual pan with hot water, and dexterity with a spatula; something he had no patience with. She? She put some boiling hot water in a glass jar just enough to fill 1/8 of it, cracked two eggs, and set it aside inside a timed microwave to a minute. Hmm, now that's an idea...

But still, she cuts fast and hard, as if the food stuff wasn't enough to resist her force, thus she could cook quick.

'Nee Hibari, these knives are getting duller, you should have them sharpened.' Mikumo pouted. 'My vegetable and fruit cuts got ugly!'

...OK?

Then after cooking, she made pancake batter with chopped fruits mixed into it, and put it away in the fridge.

He gets the picture. That's his breakfast tomorrow.

Once the glass jar of hot water completely became lukewarm, Mikumo threw out the remaining water while carefully keeping the eggs in, before serving it on a plate.

Dinner is served.

'Well, anything you want to ask me before I go home?' Mikumo asked Hibari. But when she got no answer, she nodded. 'You're really a quiet guy. Not everyone is as intuitive as me to understand you so quick y'know...communication is important if you want something, don't like something or say something.' she advised. 'Some way or another, you'll have to express yourself.' she said as she washed her hands. 'I got to go home now, I promised mom I'll be home after cooking.' Hibari merely nodded.

'Its not like I have a reason to talk.' he said. 'I'm also testing your ability. Genkai never takes in anyone who's a normal human. She only ever takes special cases. In the list of psychic powers humans can have...you're actually a psychic.' he told her. 'Humans have a certain level of intuition but its always ignored in favor of emotion-influenced decisions while you obey your intuition without fail because you know bad things will happen if you disregard your intuition. That's what makes you different.' Hibari told her. 'When was the first time you felt something really bad will happen to you?'

'When I was eight years old.' said Mikumo softly. 'At the time, papa said his boss from work is visiting...my intuition screamed at me to get the hell out before they come home and immense fear gripped my heart.' she explained, clutching her chest where her heart is. 'Whatever will happen will be very, very bad for me but nothing bad to my parents, so I ran away, lying to them on a letter that I went to visit a friend. I followed my intuition's guidance all the way to granny's temple since for my gut, its the safest place in Japan, nowhere else is. I had to sneak around using adults just to get on buses and trains since I don't have any money at the time, it was tough!' she giggled. 'I stayed with granny for a week...she told me about my power and told me to always trust my instincts. And she told me my power is deadly if I'm a martial artist, so I started training every school vacation since while doing the homework she gives me for the rest of the year.'

'I see...no wonder I can't even touch you.' Hibari snorted.

'Actually, you're special too.' Mikumo giggled. 'And you're notorious for skipping school for it either. If you probably put your mind to it, you should be a college graduate by now.'

'Hn. There are rules I must follow even if its irksome.'

'Ah, can't skip grades so you're just fooling around in wait, huh? At least spend that time productively by finding and learning about new stuff that interests you. You're a prodigy. Don't waste your abilities by napping all day in school.' Mikumo snorted as she left the kitchen. 'See ya tomorrow!'

xxx

From up a tree...Reborn processed everything he's witnessed and heard.

He's got some information about the little heiress and her Cloud Guardian.

The granny is apparently, a famous face to a select few in Japan and only takes in Psychics and other 'special cases'. And there's a really good reason why Mikumo was led to her by her intuition...

He'll have to ask.

But first, he has to get home and plant himself in before she gets home first.

xxx

Italy, two days later...

Timoteo read a long report.

 _-Ciao, Nono._

 _My first day of observation of Mikumo Sawada as Vongola Decimo Potential_  
 _showed very promising signs, all that's left, is good grooming to make her_  
 _a good boss._

 _Due to mix of European and Asian genetics, she turned out to be quite the_  
 _attractive looker she can use her looks to get men to do what she wants for_  
 _her with a smile. Her whole school fears her with a damn good reason, just_  
 _watch the video I sent you after you read this report. Not only that, she's_  
 _well on her way in getting herself a Cloud first when usually, Skies get Clouds_  
 _last. And they ahem, 'court' by afterschool sparring sessions. Let's just say_  
 _I only need training in firearms and weapons after boss-hood lessons._

 _Her Hyper Intuition, the Vongola Bloodline Trait is also off-charts. Did you and_  
 _baka-mitsu somehow drag danger with you to Namimori when you came when_  
 _she was eight years old? Mikumo sensed horrible danger to herself, but none_  
 _to her parents, and ran all the way to some rural temple to hide there as she_  
 _sensed complete safety there, and she got there all by herself by taking_  
 _advantage of her size to get free train and bus rides by sneaking in. Clever_  
 _kid isn't she? But her stunt as a child certainly invokes all forms of Adult_  
 _Fear, considering how important she is to Vongola._

 _Apparently, this granny in question named Genkai, is famous in a limited,_  
 _small circle only. Mikumo claims that only 1% of Japanese knows her as only_  
 _Martial Artists and Psychics ever go see her either for challenge, be her heir_  
 _or consultation. But she's very picky with her pupils as Genkai will never take_  
 _in a heir with an evil heart, as her techniques are dangerous towards people._  
 _Mikumo was almost ideal, but she lacked a 'certain trait' that she'll never have_  
 _even if she spent her whole life trying to have it by training, so she was instead_  
 _taught how to exploit her power and combine it with hellish fighting skills she_  
 _somehow taught her Cloud. And she can use her Flames already when she_  
 _burned my flyer in a bid to trick her maman into hiring me and knows where_  
 _I was in the trees._

 _Cloud in question is a senpai named Kyoya Hibari, currently a 15 years old kid_  
 _who should be in High School by now but apparently deliberately being a brat_  
 _due to severe boredom in life, but with high genius intellect he's bored with_  
 _school yet unable to skip grades due to rules, when Mikumo claims he should_  
 _be a College Graduate by now with his intellect, so he's being a delinquent. She_  
 _encouraged him to find much better productive times than napping and picking_  
 _fights all day. Up to him to follow that advice at any rate. Unlike Mikumo, his  
Flame is still 'asleep'._

 _He has high respect for Genkai and Mikumo. But I can't find much information_  
 _in databases about this woman. Mikumo also plans on visiting this summer as_  
 _she comes for training every school break, and would take her Guardian with_  
 _her. I'll have to introduce myself soon so I can introduce an ideal Storm before_  
 _summer comes Genkai's training is very beneficial for bosses that only I, Fon,_  
 _and the Varia can gladly go all out with Mikumo at her level and defeat her._  
 _High praise but very certified. What more if Mikumo masters fighting to reach_  
 _our levels to truly compete with us? Her Cloud also has great potential, being  
an untapped, unmotivated genius, might as well annoy him too._

Needless to say, Timoteo was highly pleased with day one alone. But somewhat put-out that Reborn hasn't made contact yet...but he wondered, what danger did Mikumo sense as a child at the time?

Well, its not like he knows that she ran away from HIM as a child...

He went to watch the videos...

His jaws dropped as well as the jaws of other Boss Imprints in the Sky Ring.

xxx

At home...

Mikumo stared.

It was the guy from this morning. Just that, she finally saw his face for the first time.

'Mama, who's this?' she asked, her eyes not leaving the baby sitting by the dining table, sitting on top of pillows while reading a newspaper.

She assessed threat levels...and knew she would lose in a fight.

Reborn knew she understood, and smirked. She just gave him an annoyed look.

'Oh! He's a home tutor I hired for you Miku-chan!' Nana chirped. 'He said he specializes in extra-curricular activities and you always do exercises with weights in the garden so I thought, 'why not'? Your old things are so worn out we replaced them not long ago.'

'I-is that right?' Mikumo sweatdropped.

Her mother thinks she does weight-lifting when she's doing martial arts...

'So that's that.' said Reborn. 'I'm your Home Tutor, Reborn.'

'Heee...' when her mother wasn't looking, Mikumo shot a small fireball the size of a marble at Reborn who had to dodge.

Then the two stared at each other until Nana turned around to put dinner at the table. Honey-glazed chicken drumsticks, Ebi Fry, Meatballs with sauce, Gyoza, Cucumber Salad, Miso Soup and rice.

Nana talked to Mikumo about the tutoring the whole dinner.

Once dinner was over, Mikumo went upstairs to get the furo ready for her use.

'You want to bathe first before we talk?' Reborn asked her.

'No. We talk first, bath later. Furo takes a while to get warm enough.' said Mikumo. 'We soak in there for comfort before going out since after my turn, mama will take her turn.'

'Heee...' and in her room, Reborn observed that her room is very, very simplistic and very clean. Like, plain everything. Nothing about it revealed Mikumo's personality at all.

'Now then...why are you truly here?' Mikumo asked as her eyes went amber-orange, and very close to HDWM which Reborn noted, but clearly had no idea what it is.

'I'll be frank.' said Reborn, taking out Leon who turned into a suitcase and took out a thick file. 'You see...you're the last heiress we have left.'

'...heiress?'

From the twitching in her face, Reborn knew she foresaw she's not going to like it...

He had to dodge fireballs by the time he was done.

It was a sure sign of how furious she was, without her mother getting wind of her anger.

xxx

At the bath...

"I can't believe it, but that can explain how papa got so much money." Mikumo grumbled as she stayed really, really long in the furo after a bath.

Living in Japan is expensive, especially if you're near Japan's priciest cities to live in. Namimori being close to Tokyo, is barely pushing to expensive levels. Yet her family can effortlessly afford a full week-long pantry, and expensive cuts of meat they could always have Matsusaka or Kobe beef. Not quite A5 but still...that, and her mother can drag her to monthly shopping for new clothes and shoes.

There was a price to pay for this easy life indeed.

Now she's to be Donna of a big-time Mafia Family.

She grumbled.

If there was a way to Reikai to give the stupid men a piece of her mind, she would.

She made up her mind, and decided to do all she can to survive. For her sake as well as Hibari's, and more Guardians to come.

She heated the water again with her flames to believable levels.

'Mama! I'm done with the furo!'

xxx

'So, have you calmed down now, Mikumo?' Reborn asked as Mikumo got back from the baths, dressed in her PJs.

'Somewhat but that does not mean I'm happy about it.' Mikumo told him coldly before huffily sitting on her bed, using her flames to dry her hair before combing. 'I expect supernatural stuff to happen to be, being Donna of a Mafia Organization is the last thing on my mind!' she griped. 'Were these morons so incompetent they can't even do a simple thing such as staying alive?!'

'Well, being a mafia boss means you walk with death every day as you have no way of knowing when you'll be assassinated.' Reborn quipped. 'Carelessness will get you killed. They were too lax. To be fair, the family trait of Hyper Intuition was dwindling over the generations. Yours is an unprecedented manifestation that make you the closest to Vongola Primo in power.' he said. 'Perhaps after ten generations, Vongola recovers. Nono hopes for Vongola to return to its true identity. His mother started it, he continued but he hopes for you to fully realize its comeback.'

'Well, for that to happen...there will be a body count.' Mikumo stated flatly, looking ill.

'Of course. Peace is built over a bloodstained ground Mikumo.' Reborn told her grimly. 'Show me your martial arts tomorrow, Mikumo.'

'Hai hai. Well, you're a guy, no rooming with a girl. Did mama give you a guest room?'

'Well, I insisted I sleep in your room...'

The whole room went on fire.

Needless to say Reborn used the Guest Room.


	4. The Rain Element

The Rain Element

Reborn chuckled as the Decimo Heiress is no push-over unlike some he could name.

In Italy, Dino, Iemitsu and to an extent Timoteo, sneezed at the exact same time at the exact same day.

She bagged a Cloud for over two months now and she's the first Sky he knew to bag a Cloud first when usually, Clouds are bagged LAST.

Any Sky with a complete family will tell you that, but Mikumo was the first to break that rule.

That, and Mikumo's Hyper Intuition was off-charts. Even moreso when she trained under Genkai who made it stronger for five years that Mikumo's level bordered on near-precognition and she always obeys her instincts like its the absolute law. The last one to achieve this height of power, was Vongola Primo.

'Granny's the best psychic expert in Japan.' said Mikumo. 'The strongest too but I definitely don't want to be her. Being her is too scary.'

Being an expert in psychic powers and all occult and anything supernatural, as well as seeing things no naked eye can see, Genkai was wanted by the physical and spiritual worlds for her knowledge, ability and power. But she's very picky with her heir indeed but hopes to find the right one before she's either murdered or passes on naturally.

Reborn really only had to deal with teaching her and Hibari boss-related stuff, which the kids soaked up like a sponge. Business(Mafia) Management, Accounting and Finances, Computers, Firearms, Knife Combat(with wooden versions), various escape tricks, stealth, first-aid, improvised first-aid and weaponry, languages, subjecting the kids to extreme physical training for street-fighting(Mikumo and Hibari have their own style of street-fighting which is basically anything-goes)...

Indeed, Hibari picks up faster, being a Genius and a Cloud...which was a scary mix. So he taught Hibari how to make and disarm bombs, make chemical weaponry, poisons and antidotes, and threw medical books at him. If he skips school, might as well learn useful stuff anyway! So in his 'office hours' in school, Reborn bugs him with lessons...and Mikumo cooks for him until his maid was back. Well, Hibari knows a few good dishes now and cooking cheats for convenience. It helps that the Sawadas were good cooks. Mikumo was a better cook than her mother due to gut instincts so while it looks the same, texture and taste are a different matter entirely.

Like Mikumo, he didn't take too well to what being a Mafia brings, as his only friend was dragged into it due to the incompetence of her elders. But unlike Mikumo, he could not chase Reborn. At all. So he settled for glaring at him whenever he could.

So yes, both teens aren't too happy.

In the third week of May, three weeks since Reborn came to their lives...

Mikumo purchased a small plastic bag from a pharmacy, and woke up at the wee hours of the morning to Reborn's surprise, and she waited outside the gate...before calling a boy over.

This boy was her classmate, sitting at the last row, Yamamoto Takeshi.

Reborn studied ALL her classmates and associates for potentials while he called a Storm ideal over.

'Yamamoto-kun!' she called out.

'Oh, Sawada-chan! What is it?' Yamamoto asked with a nervous smile. One of the school's cutest-and scariest-girls waited for him in the wee hours of the morning, quite literally!

She just smiled, and poked his left shoulder and back, making him yelp in pain.

'Aah! W-what was that for?!' Yamamoto sputtered while wincing. His left shoulder hurts!

'You've been ignoring that for days to the point a mere poke like this,' she said, poking his cheek with her finger, '-causes that kinda reaction. I'd recommend a month off or say hello to a worser pain than that if you keep swinging that bat.' Mikumo told him before giving him the plastic bag. 'Here, and there's a note inside telling your dad to buy some painkilling pills that's way beyond my allowance. At least I could get you menthol pads.' Yamamoto did a double-take as he shyly took the bag from her.

He never thought she'd notice and be this considerate.

'Uhm, thanks, Sawada-chan.' said Yamamoto gratefully before fretting. 'But I can't quit training.'

Mikumo's smile was sweet, but...

'... **do you want me to set Hibari on you to force you on an actual hospital leave?** ' Yamamoto looked horrified at the idea. 'Really, take a break...because if you force yourself as you are now, I don't think you can swing a bat ever again.' Mikumo told him and he balked. 'We are still kids with growing to do. Don't force your body to take on an adult-level of physical training without a competent supervision. Now take a break or I'll call on that favor Hibari owes me.'

Yamamoto really can't say no to that...really, compared to taking a break, if she really DOES get Hibari to make him take a break, it'd take MONTHS, not weeks...

'Fiiiine...but what do I tell my team?'

'Tell them what I told you and if they still pressure you,' she said as she cracked her knuckles for emphasis. '-its them who'll be in the hospital.' said Mikumo as Yamamoto sweatdropped. 'As a trained person myself, its easy for me to tell what's physically wrong with a person by a glance. My master taught me what to look for but I only just started in how to deal with them, so go see a doctor alright?'

'OK.' said Yamamoto gratefully.

'To be honest, I waited for you to stop for a week, but you're plain stubborn...I'm not a nosy busybody but when you gotta step in you gotta step in.'

xxx

As Yamamoto bid Mikumo goodbye, he was thinking.

Of all his peers around him, she was the only one to notice _something's wrong with him_.

Even gave him menthol pads, after waiting for him out here!

Well, at least he knows her address now...he apparently passes by her house in his morning jog.

Well, knowing someone cares enough to actually scare him into it...kinda felt nice.

Because at least, someone actually cares for him, not his ability to score points in games.

xxx

'So Mikumo, what was that all about?' Reborn asked her while sitting on her shoulder as they got back in the house. 'What do you see in that boy? You weren't like that to your other classmates.' he said.

'Well...he's like Hibari to me.' said Mikumo. 'But I waited for the right time, that's all. He was very guarded with a well-made front-face. Today was the only day to get through.' she sighed. 'That guy...absolutely could not trust anyone anymore. Couldn't trust that anyone still cares. Someone not his father and he felt all alone because outside home, he has no one.'

'Hooo...oh yes, today, a special person will be coming. You better succeed in winning this person over.' said Reborn. 'You already got two by yourself, but as your tutor I must also aid in forming your family.'

'Oh...then this one is...something hot?' Mikumo mused thoughtfully in a thinking pose.

'What's your definition of hot?'

Normally when a girl says a boy is 'hot', they always mean his looks and style. But in Mikumo's case...

'Red-hot chilly pepper.' Mikumo smiled. 'If Yamamoto can access his power, he should be able to calm him down.'

Reborn looked VERY THOUGHTFUL now...

She knows by gut what Yamamoto is, too.

He smirked.

They're well on their way to competence.

Now its up to him to make the newcomers catch up.

The one he called never got the chance to shine when he's had real talent that nobody back home saw because they judged by reputation and his ethnicity. Then this guy Mikumo has her eye on, was someone always taken for granted and he's getting unhappier by the day. Mikumo sensed he's hers.

Mikumo then took a bath while her mother just woke up to make breakfast. Well, waiting outside worked up quite a sweat.

xxx

School...

Gokudera Hayato was rather anxious about meeting, much less sharing a class with Vongola Decimo Candidate, Sawada Mikumo.

According to Reborn(and he's one for very blunt, harsh criticism), she was 'pretty cute' and exceeded his expectations, because her father was a moron who didn't gather present accurate intel on his own daughter(he was given intel when she was still a little girl) so she wound up surprising Reborn on what she could do that he was able to teach her things mafia donnas should know, and already has one guardian who is her equal in ability and competence, thus would function well in their future jobs.

So now, he waited.

Mikumo leaves home at eight sharp as her house is near Namichuu by twenty minutes walk...so he waited as he got to see the students make a wide berth, like how Moses parted the Red Sea.

"W-wow..." he gulped.

The whole school is wary and nervous of her!

Amazed in incoming fanboyhood, he went to the faculty room for the homeroom teacher since he's a transferee...and when its finally damn time.

xxx

In Class...

As the teacher introduced him to class...

Gokudera was wondering,

"WHY is she looking straight at meee?!" he inwardly shook nervously and awkwardly as she was staring at him with a serene, knowing smile, and direct eye contact while her chin rested on entwined fingers.

'So your seat is...behind Sawada.' said the teacher as Mikumo raised her hand, and pointed at the seat behind her since there were other empty seats in the room.

"Phew!"

And so, at lunch break...

'Saluti, Decima.' Gokudera bowed from his waist in Hibari's office.

'Maa maa, I'm not Decima yet, Gokudera-kun.' Mikumo chuckled. 'I'm not even seated in the office yet. And for now, just call me by name since my status is still secret after all. Nobody who wasn't the Ninth and his select trusted knows I exist.' she said. 'This is my only friend, Hibari Kyoya. He is my equal in many aspects. He can never be my subordinate, but a trusted ally as he is his own boss.'

'You mean he'll be CEDEF someday?'

'Hn. The current generation is appalling.' Hibari scoffed. 'Considering how it started, its up to me to make that division competent.'

'Gokudera wishes to be the right-hand man of Decima.' said Reborn. 'Kyoya, you also have one but do you wish to bring _him_ into this?' he asked, referring to his dutiful second. 'Otherwise you'll have to groom one soon.'

'Hn.'

'Well, its time for your next task, Mikumo.' said Reborn. 'Kyoya and I will continue our schedule.'

'Hai hai...'

'Next task?' Gokudera blinked. Mikumo smiled.

'A third brother to join us.' she said. 'There's Kyoya and you, and there's a third person. But he needs more...courting.'

xxx

Gokudera waited as Mikumo led them to a tall, tanned boy who was at the rooftop, lying on the ground.

'Hey.'

The boy looked behind him to see them.

'Oh! Sawada-chan and the new kid!'

'Did you use the menthol pads today?'

'Yeah, it brings some comfort, but my back still hurts...hahaha...' said Yamamoto sheepishly. 'And I told the team what you told me...they sure are quick on agreeing!' "Well, who's NOT terrified of her and Hibari?" he thought, sweatdropping.

'That's good.' she said. 'In the meantime, you can still redeem your grades. I'm sure you don't want to go to school on summer with no aircon.' said Mikumo as Yamamoto turned white. Summer in Japan is nasty, like being in an oven for two months and hardly any wind to blow the heat away _so people only go out when they absolutely have to_. 'Wanna catch up? We're pretty good teachers.'

'Eh? Really? S-sure I guess...' Yamamoto stammered out, cheeks pink-tinged.

'No aircon in _summer_?' Gokudera blurted incredulously. 'That's inhuman! Back in Italy our aircons are full-blast in summer! What kinda color of blood do your schools have?!' Mikumo and Yamamoto laughed weakly at that.

'Its supposed to be both punishment and incentive to students to not fail a subject again. Not even a single fan is open and Japanese summers are both hot and humid that having windows open is no help at all.' Mikumo explained. 'Italy isn't like that I guess.'

'No...'

Hence Mikumo and Gokudera tutoring Yamamoto personally in her house and Nana's happy her daughter has cute boys with her.

xxx

Reborn was very, VEEEERY happy.

Hibari's a doggone damn genius.

He picked up how things work fast. TOO fast.

Maybe his Cloud influences his brain that he's got one hell of a memory, an ideal thinking process AND noteworthy ways to deal with things, and he's getting more creative he was sure Iemitsu will be out of a job when Mikumo takes over. Hibari was extremely efficient, and answered questions in answers that made Reborn like him very much. He can get things done without crossing a line, and pissing off his future boss.

As for Mikumo herself, an insanely powerful fighter since childhood but for her age she's nearing his level by ten steps away. By her adulthood she'll have long surpassed him no doubt, assuming he's still alive by then. She's also picking up fast due to her power. And she's formally-training Gokudera while trick-training Yamamoto as he still has yet to agree to be her Guardian. And they're not yet THAT close friends yet in Yamamoto's point-of-view to be trusted something that big, even if Mikumo knows that he's long hers, but she's giving him time to come to her on his own pace as her guardian.

Well, not bad.

Relationships are not made in a day after all. It takes effort, respect and trust. And with Yamamoto having it real bad in the trust department, Mikumo and Gokudera have to truly win him over.

When summer came...

'So we'll meet the famous Genkai at long last.' said Hibari as they made their way to the bus stop early morning.

'Yup.' said Mikumo. 'My training is almost complete now. All that's left is battle experience to get better than the training given to you, as well as maintenance training just to keep from getting rusty.'

'Um why are we meeting this person again? All I know is we're going to the countryside for some 'learning experience.' Yamamoto pointed out.

'Yup. Granny will give you one heck of a lasting impression.' Mikumo smiled. 'Been doing this since I was a child. Hard at first but eventually, it paid off. But due to school and family asking questions we really can't answer, she sends me homework to do at home, then she checks me every school break. I always come for summer, winter and spring breaks. Just to warn you, she's as blunt as a rusty spoon, her words might stab you in places you don't want it to but its for your own good to accept, let go and move on with life without baggages holding you back and move forward freely.'

'Er, who is that meant for?' Gokudera asked nervously about her words.

'You and Yamamoto. Granny can really hit home and it will suck.' Mikumo told them while looking at her two friends worriedly as the two boys balked. 'A lot. She'll talk to you guys privately one on one first so she'll know what to do with you. Hibari has no problems with her at least. Given his personality, he'll just make her laugh before sending him crashing to a tree or something.'

'Oy...' Hibari twitched. 'Is that what your instincts tell you?'

'It never lied to me once, didn't it?'

'...now I'm worried.' Gokudera shuddered.

Upon arrival, Genkai did just that, when she talked to Hibari first...next thing they know, they heard laughter, and Mikumo pulled them away with good reason; where they once stood, he crashed out of the wooden walls at the exact place where they stood a second ago and he was sent flying, crashing to a tree.

'...scary...' Yamamoto gulped.

'Spot on.' Gokudera shivered.

'See?' Mikumo sweatdropped. 'At least she has no complaints with me.'

'Makes me wonder how she'll react to _me_.' Reborn deadpanned.


	5. The Greatest Psychic

The Greatest Psychic

Genkai knew Mikumo said she'd be bringing friends over and what she got into when she was sure Reborn was far away from earshot back home in her town.

Mikumo vouched that Hibari's a rare once-a-decade genius. Due to his mind, school BORED him he only shows up for quizzes and tests and aces them all, then his attendance is non-existent. Leads a Disciplinary Committee, and his mindset was the Animal Kingdom Food Chain that Mikumo wondered how to beat it out of him so he'll be a much better person. Sooo yeah, Genkai will beat the snot of that brat and teach him there's still top dogs in the world.

Yamamoto has trust issues with his peers and desperate for real friends who wanted HIM, not his baseball skills and how useful he was. He was still cautious around Mikumo and Gokudera even if they were good company, helped him in school and treated him like how he wanted to be treated. So Genkai made him face reality and as Yamamoto could see that this was what Mikumo predicted, the truth damn hurt. Genkai says she's known Mikumo for years and he could trust her, and the people she chose to be around her.

In her words, Mikumo will always do the 'right thing' and will act based in circumstances to avoid 'bad ends'.

For Gokudera, she beat him worse than she did Hibari for his mindset as well.

He is willing to die for his boss just for acknowledgment!

'Uhm, Gokudera? You look like you went through hell...' Yamamoto croaked out while he and Mikumo cooked lunch together.

'Genkai-shihan's a real piece of work.' said Gokudera whose face was swollen and bruised.

'I did warn you...' Mikumo winced. 'I just wonder how your talk went. All I felt is that it'll end badly.'

Gokudera whimpered as an annoyed Genkai came in.

'I'll do more than that if you haven't gained one lick of common sense, boy!' Genkai barked snappily. 'Honestly Mikumo, you're one decent girl you brought me real pieces of work.' she grumbled with an eyeroll.

'Ohoho, I love them all the same granny~' Mikumo squealed happily. Genkai shook her head in bemusement.

'After dinner I'll talk to that fake baby of yours.' she said, eyeing Reborn seriously. 'He concerns me the most.'

'Oh, he's only in his late fifties stuck in that.'

'Ouch.'

'...you can even tell what age range am I.' Reborn deadpanned at his student.

'Yes, but I can't pinpoint as your curse is in the way.' Mikumo admitted. 'Its a strong one. Had granny been in her prime getting rid of it would be real quick.'

Reborn dropped the coffee mug he's holding in shock, making a mess on the table.

Genkai shook her head.

'Sadly I'm old for that kind of stress. That's why I'm looking for an heir, twerp.' Genkai sighed. 'By next year, I'm heir-hunting. I'm staging a tournament to gather all psychics in Japan to test their power and character. I should hit the jackpot at some point.'

'Humm...one of them may be an idiot and rough around the edges...but you'll like him.' Mikumo swore in determination. 'He's a dimwit through and through, but he's the one.'

Elsewhere in Tokyo, a certain dimwit sneezed loudly during English class.

'Oho? A dimwit eh? That's good.' Genkai nodded. 'I can just simply beat my teachings into him.'

'Eh? But aren't you pressed for time?' Gokudera asked, 'Training a dimwit might take ages!'

'Given granny's power, having this particular dimwit is also good. He has no megalomaniac desires whatsoever. He passes our standards.'

'Your power is as amazing as ever.' Genkai sighed wistfully, looking pleased. 'It has gotten stronger I see. And you're clearly not bothered by it anymore since its too accurate it sometimes used to scare you back then.'

'Back then was because I didn't understand why I have these feelings but I chose to act on them with no regret.' said Mikumo. 'But still, my younger years were annoying. Loads of stalkers.'

'Stalkers?' Hibari questioned.

'Yeah. They came three months after papa and his boss left for home and started snooping around for us.' Reborn narrowed his eyes dangerously. '...I did what I had to do to protect mama.'

She had her first kill at age eight, were the unsaid words that only the adults understood. Hibari understood just as quick. Gokudera took longer to get the picture despite being a mafia child.

'You called the police?' Yamamoto asked.

'No. These guys are beyond civilian police powers. And can effortlessly bash their way out of jail cells due to connections. If I didn't do it, mama will have a slow painful death before I'll be taken to who-knows-where.' during chopping vegetables, she stabbed an onion viciously with a dark look on her face that got Yamamoto, the other cook concerned and disturbed by the matter. 'The name was Estraneo when I studied English basics. I still have their ids hidden in the gardens to this day.'

'WHAT?!' Gokudera yelped. 'But that family's long dead!' he exclaimed. 'They created something nasty that it was declared open season on them back home! Don't tell me there're survivors?!'

Yamamoto really wondered now.

Is he the only one left out of the loop?

'They tried to kidnap me didn't they?' Mikumo snorted. 'I knew that old guy was trouble. He brought trouble home back then which made me glad granny trained me in stealth and ambush first...then the authorities in black cloaks talked to me about it. The last guy awake was taken for a talk...then the cloaked guys said what I did was self-defense so they let me off.'

Gokudera paled. She met the Vindice at age 8?! Hibari who learned Mafia Laws first stared wide-eyed at his friend/rival. Both boys understood she killed at a young age for justified reason.

'WHAT?!' this time, all her friends and Genkai yelped, wide-eyed while Reborn noted to make a phone call back home...

xxx

'Kindly tell me what's going on, Reborn.' said Genkai as she and Reborn are alone while the food still cooked.

'From what we heard earlier, her predecessor visited the Sawadas when she was eight.' said Reborn. 'He's a very high-profile guy that him traveling cannot go unnoticed if he's seen in airports. Then with a little computer hacking, its easy to predict where he'll go.' he said grimly. 'Timoteo and Iemitsu are usually NOT careless. But around that time, in a short-gap apart, Enrico and Federico, two of Timoteo's sons are murdered. The only heir left, was Massimo but even his survival prospects are up in the air as he has no guardians and he's careless. A year after the visit, he kicked the bucket. Mikumo is the only heir left as only blood relatives can inherit.' he said.

'Timoteo held the fort for five years, waiting for her adolescence for me to teach and train her to become a proper boss because once she graduates high school, she'll go to Italy to take over.'

'Didn't you train his sons?'

'All of them are trained by him and his mother when he was younger, but due to growing up a rich, privileged life, some of his teachings went one ear in, one ear out.' Reborn quipped. 'It doesn't help that with the organization being powerful in our community both financially and politically, they couldn't get Guardians like Mikumo could as many families treat Guardianhood into a Family's Sky like an arrangement. It does NOT work that way but...'

'So Mikumo being away from all that is a good thing.'

'Yes. She could choose those she wanted by her side.' Reborn told her. 'Guardianhood is all about trust. Not political arrangements for profit. If politics is involved, betrayal understandably is rife. For now, she has a Cloud, Rain and Storm. She needs a Sun, Lightning and Mist to complete her set. Hopefully, all become her friends too. Her situation is _enviously ideal_. Many heirs and heiresses will kill to be in her shoes as in the community, trust issues are rife.'

'Hooo...'

'Well, Vongola will have a best heiress soon. Hopefully Timoteo won't kick the bucket before they're ready.' Reborn mused. 'So what did you observe in the boys?'

'An idiot who thinks life is like the world's food chain, another idiot who's suicidal in hopes of obtaining approval, and the last idiot has peer issues he also has trust issues, but he grew to like Mikumo and Gokudera. Those boys are a royal mess by themselves.' Genkai sighed. 'Kyoya's personality improved thanks to her perception and knows how he rolls. Hayato's loyal to her because she gave a damn about him. Takeshi is still 'trying things out' as he never had any real friends before. The friends he used to have, only want him as their winning baseball ticket which affected him deeply.' she said.

xxx

Summer was spent in Genkai's place with a busy schedule.

Reborn watched as Genkai gave the boys fighting lessons, each with a training buddy. Mikumo trained Yamamoto who was the current weakest, Reborn trained Gokudera and Genkai trained Hibari in fighting.

During a break...

'Hey Miku-chan...' Yamamoto asked while resting under a tree together. 'Why are we training in fighting?'

'...I have no idea if my kidnappers have successors.' said Mikumo blandly as they rested with Gokudera while Hibari relaxes elsewhere. 'Any friend of mine would have been targeted and harmed. They'll cruelly play with you before they force me to come willingly for your sakes.' Yamamoto felt a chill down his spine. 'That's why I took you guys here to train to protect yourselves until I can get to you on time. Hibari's OK, its you and Gokudera-kun I worry about. I nearly got kidnapped after all.'

'Miku-chan...'

'Summer will be over soon...so granny will give us training homework until winter holidays.' said Mikumo. 'I hope you'll be OK and not overdo it because we grow at our own pace. Stuff like this should not be rushed. It took me years to get to where I am now after all.'

'Heee...that'd mean five years?'

'Yup. Hey, I'm a little kid back then while you boys are teenagers when you started, so your progress should be faster than mine as you already have developed bodies with no fear of damages to young bodies like I did.' Mikumo explained.

'Heee...Gokudera, these Estraneo guys...who are they?' Yamamoto asked Gokudera.

'They created an immoral, unforgivable thing.' said Gokudera. 'Due to that, it was declared Open Season on them all because if used, it has nasty consequences and effects that goes beyond the pale. Its all I know as I was just a Neophyte. The higher-ups would know more than I did but even we had to know how bad in a vague way.' he explained. 'We were even instructed to capture or kill them depending on what can be done so nobody can make and use them ever again. And now that they're kidnapping kids five years ago for who-knows-what and Miku-sama killed whoever came here to protect herself and her mother...why are they kidnapping kids?'

'Only the lawmakers would know now.' said Mikumo. 'I never did get an explanation all those years ago. Maybe someone forbade me from knowing.' she frowned.

'Someone eh...' Gokudera sighed.

'Kidnapping kids...or specific kids?' Yamamoto frowned. 'Nothing about that in newspapers years ago or my dad would have warned me.'

'Specific kids.' said Mikumo. 'My father and his boss came five years ago but they left a trail leading them to us out of carelessness. It was way too close for comfort...if at the time, I never got any scrap of training, who knows what would have happened to me back then while mother dying is certain.'

The boys gulped.

Summer ended with the boys having access to their flames and a long list of what they can do with it.

Hibari got stronger. He was indeed, a genius. A genius in fighting.

Gokudera got some fighting skill he no longer has to rely on dynamites but can improvise weaponry with his knowledge, and use them with skill in tandem with his powers.

Yamamoto, was a natural assassin his training focused on it while keeping from him its true nature. So his fighting style was different from others. He was also told that he has talent in the sword, so why not polish that one?

'You boys had fun?' Mikumo asked them.

'Hn. I'll be back here.' said Hibari. 'While the retired carnivore can still bite.'

'I'd like to come back here too.' said Gokudera. 'I can train here, go all out and even better, no witnesses!' he exclaimed.

'I'll ask my dad about my other homework...dad used to be a Kendo Master before becoming a sushi chef.' said Yamamoto. 'I'll begin with that first, but I'll go back on Winter Holidays too.'

'OK.'

xxx

Italy...

Timoteo broke his fountain pen in half with one hand when he got a fax from Reborn.

Sure, the first half of the reports brought good tidings that brought him hope for the future...but it was the last few pages that worried him and pissed him off.

Mikumo nearly got kidnapped by the Estraneo remnants after following him to Namimori when he went by himself, and they were her first kill!

He would have to pull strings to get his much-wanted answers.


End file.
